How to Help a Friend Who Has Relapsed: Dos and Don’ts
While we try to give our friends in recovery support, we can’t control their behaviors. Relapse isn’t always a part of someone’s story, but it happens. It can be hard on us to hear that someone we know has relapsed and if they reach out for our help, we might not always know what to […]
Relapse Prevention in Early Recovery: 6 Tips for Staying on Track
Recovery is a long journey with no clear ending point. Staying sober and resisting cravings certainly becomes easier with time, but avoiding relapse is always an active effort. To fully recover, you need to continually check in with yourself and keep working toward your mental, physical, and spiritual goals. Creating a clear, specific relapse prevention […]
Breaking the Cycle of Relapse
Addiction recovery is different for every individual. While some people find lasting sobriety on their first or second try, others struggle with chronic relapse. Relapse is not necessarily inevitable, but it is common and should be seen as an opportunity for growth and adjustment in the recovery process. However, repeated relapses can leave those with […]
4 Skills Needed for Relapse Prevention
Whether it is your first time in recovery or not, relapse prevention is likely a dominant consideration in the early days of sobriety. If you have relapsed in the past, you know that addiction recovery requires diligence and commitment. This dedication often includes learning new life skills and putting them into practice each and every […]
What Are 4 Holiday Stressors to Watch for in Recovery?
When people think about the holidays, they often consider the joyful, fun elements and forget there are people who struggle with holidays and don’t always find it a happy time. There are ways and means to get back to the joy of the holiday season with some helpful hints and tips. Stressors come and go […]
5 Common Relapse Triggers
Early sobriety can be both exhilarating and terrifying. After or during the process of treatment, you may find yourself battling cravings and worrying about the possibility of relapse. While relapse is common, it isn’t necessarily inevitable. By recognizing the most common triggers and keeping your guard up against potential threats to your sobriety, you can […]
How Unaddressed Trauma Leads to Relapse, and What You Can Do About It
Drug and alcohol abuse often stems from a need for escape. When you experience trauma, either in your childhood or as an adult, the pain of that experience stays with you for the rest of your life. With the right treatment and care, you can manage that pain in a way that turns it from […]
5 Ways to Support Your Loved One After They Relapse
If someone you love is struggling with addiction, the rollercoaster on the road to recovery can be incredibly stressful for everyone that lends them support. Standing by someone as they abuse substances, or relapse after a period of sobriety can be challenging and emotional. While you may be feeling angry or hurt, you may also […]
5 Lessons to be Learned from Relapse
Relapse is complicated. Whether it happens soon after you first achieve sobriety or years into recovery, it can be a devastating experience. Research into shame and guilt surrounding addiction, however, tells us that beating ourselves up after a slip-up is detrimental to our recovery and increases the likelihood of future relapse. Instead, it is important […]
6 Misconceptions About Relapse
Relapse is common for people recovering from addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 40 and 60 percent of people relapse within the first year of treatment. That number can seem pretty high, especially to people who know how much time and effort goes into completing treatment. Most people in recovery are […]
